Mercedes blames “bug” on George Russell missing Japan F1 podium

Mercedes Formula 1 team boss Toto Wolff says a “bug in the electrical system” ultimately stopped George Russell from finishing on the podium at the Japanese Grand Prix.

The British driver lost the lead in the championship to Mercedes team-mate Andrea Kimi Antonelli, who scored a dominant victory at Suzuka on Sunday.

Dropping off the front row after a poor start, George Russell took the lead on lap 21 after McLaren’s Oscar Piastri pitted from first, though was frustrated over his team radio about Mercedes extending his stint.

Russell pitted at the end of lap 21, before a safety car was called for Ollie Bearman’s crash at Spoon Curve.

The Mercedes driver was third for the restart, but was jumped immediately by Lewis Hamilton, before an energy issue at Spoon a few laps later dumped him behind Charles Leclerc.

Toto Wolff says this was due to a “bug” in a system designed to give Russell an advantage.

“It was a bug in the electrical system in the software to try to give him an advantage,” he told Sky F1.

“What it gave was a super clip that slowed the car down, and this is where he unexpectedly lost the position to Leclerc, so we didn't cover ourselves in glory with George's race.”

Russell “would have won” Japanese GP with later safety car appearance

Russell finished fourth, 15.7s behind team-mate Antonelli, but believes he would have won the grand prix had the safety car come out a lap later than it did.

“Yeah, obviously our starts, as normal, poor,” he told the media, including Crash.net, on Sunday.

“Safety car, one lap different and we would have won the race. So, that’s part of racing.

“But thereafter, it was just issues after one another.

“I couldn’t recharge my battery at the safety car restart, so Lewis just flew by me.

“And then I had the issue later in the race with Charles and the battery, and I just had no speed, and he passed me. So, yeah, just one thing after another.”

While angry over the radio during the race about Mercedes’ strategy before his pit stop, Russell declined to criticise it when pressed afterwards.

“I need to look at it,” he added.

“I don’t really know why I pitted at that point, I think Charles was coming. But, what can you do? That is pure luck.

“If that was one lap later, we would have won the race. And if there was no crash, we would have regretted not pitting at that point.

“In racing, sometimes it goes for you, sometimes it goes against you.

“It’s just at the moment, it feels like the last two weekends every issue we’re having is on my side and I’m the one going through that pain.”